Making a Difference

Involving the Community

Linkwood Summer Initiative

In June 2006 residents of the Springfield Property development in the Linkwood area of South Elgin were brought together by the local Community Development Worker to discuss common concerns about isolation, lack of access to local services and the poor reputation that the new housing estate was developing.  The group met with their local Councillor and representatives of the Elgin Local Workers Group to look at how these concerns could be addressed.

The initial priority identified was the lack of things for young people to do over the summer period.  In spite of the fact that the summer holidays were due to start in a week's time, a comprehensive programme of daily activities was put together by the Local Workers Group for the six-week holiday period.

Activities included afternoon games sessions for children and community get-together sessions.  Free transport laid on to six Ranger-led family activity sessions elsewhere in Moray and the Mobile Library and Mobile Information Bus visited regularly.  The programme finished with a full week of family arts activities.  Residents paraded through the estate with the costumes they had made and joined together for a community party.

At the end of the summer a full evaluation was undertaken with residents to look at how the Workers Group could continue to support them.  The Linkwood Residents Action Group was established and is now an active subgroup of the Elgin South Area Forum.

With the support of the Workers Group, they continue to identify and address issues in the area, as well as striving to influence agencies at strategic level to ensure many of the problems they have experienced are avoided when new housing estates are planned and developed.